Tool for cutting asbestos-cement board or the like



March 5, 1946. wjswENsoN 5,

TOOL FOR -CUTTING ASBESTOS-CEMENT BOARD OR THE LIKE Filed 001:. so, 1943' INVENTOR M550 Jws/wom ATTO R N EY Patented Mar. 5, 1946 7 a1 TOOL FOR CUTTING ASBESTOS-CEMENT BOARD OR THE LIKE Joseph W. Swenson, Summit, N. J., assignor to The Ruberoid 00., New York, N. Y., a corpora- 7 tion of New Jersey Application October 30, 1943, Serial No. 508,438

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a tool for cutting asbestos-cement board and the like.

An object of the invention is toprovide a simple, compact, and inexpensive tool for cutting building or construction boards mad of asbestos-cement or other hard, stone-like composition.

Another object is to provide a tool that can be used to make right angle or other angular cuts, as well as to make straight or curved cuts. In the use of building boards irregular, angular, or

I curved cuts are sometimes required to fit the boards around openings for doors, windows,'fiues, chimneys, etc.

A further object is to provide a tool that operates to cut the board in a succession of cuts of relatively short length and that is free to move or slide bodily between successive cuts so that the operator can control the direction and length of the cut at will.

A still further object is to provide a tool having a convexly curved cutting edge that is thickest at its lowest point and gradually decreases in thickness toward the top so that in making each cut the cutting edge may freely enter into the cut previously made.

H at One end formed with a flat lower surface I 2 on which the tool rests so that it can freely move or slide on a horizontal support. Other means than the flange may be provided to serve as a rest for the tool. A horizontal slot I3 is formed through and along the top of the case extending the whole or for a part of its length.

A blade I4 is pivotally secured at l5 to the case. While the blade may be pivoted directly to the case, I prefer, for ease of assembly, detachment and replacement, to pivot it to a separate collar I6 which is inserted into the end of the case and is detachably secured thereto by means of a screw H or other suitable fastener. The collar may be provided with two diametrically opposed slots l8 that receive and form a bearing for the ends of the pivot l 5. The pivot rests on, and the blade is disposed between the tw flanges or members I9 formed at the bottom of the slots by bending down the portion of material cut out from the slots. When the collar is inserted in and at- I tached to the case the pivot will be held in place, g as shown in Fig. 3.

Heretofore asbestos-cement boards have gen-' erally been out either by sawing, or by first scor ing the board and then breaking it along thescored line. It has been found thatin sawing the board the saw teeth soon become dull. Scoring and breaking is objectionable since the board does 7 not always break with a clean fracture.

The tool of the present invention will out asbestos-cement Or other hard board easily, and with a smooth, clean, square edge. Furthermore, the waste produced in cutting drop-s into and is caught in the hollow case of the tool from which it may be emptied as required.

The tool, with its handle in closed position, is very compact and may be conveniently carried by the operator in his pocket. The tool is small and light enough that it may be carried in the rule pocket of a pair of overalls.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the tool with it blade in partly raised position, the front end of the tool being shown in section;

Fig, 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of th tool showing the blade in completely closed position; and,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The tool comprises a hollowcase ID of any suitable shape, preferably tubular, having a flange The lower edge of the blade, adjacent the pivot I5, is preferably formed as shown with concave portions 20 and a convex portion 2|, which latter portion constitutes the cutting edge proper. The cutting edge 2| is blunt and is thickest at its lowest point, usually about thick, its thickness gradually decreasing towards the portions 20 and the upper edge of the blade. The blade may be provided with a handle 22. The portion of the blade between the handle and the cutting edge serves merely as a lever.

In using the tool, the blade is raised to an upright position and the board to be cut is laid on the case In over slot I3 and under cutting edge 2|.

The blade is then depressed to make a relatively short cut in the board after which it is again raised and the tool is moved into position for the succeeding out. Since the edge of portion 20 is somewhat thinner than the maximum thickness of the cutting edge 2 I, when the blade is in raised position it will enter freely into the cut previously made. The cutting operation is performed in a succession of strokes, that is with a nibbling action rather than with a single long cut, the tool being moved bodily between successive strokes. Because of the curvature of the cuttin edge, and the fact that the tool as a whole is freely mov- 'able, the operator is able readily to make curved, angular, or straight cuts, or to follow a guide line of any direction and length.

While I have herein illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the tool it will be under stood that variations in the form and details of construction thereof may be made within the scope of the claim.

What I claim is:

A tool of the character described comprising a freely movable hollow case, a collar detachably fastened in one end of the case, said collar having two diametrically opposed notches for receiving the ends of a pivot pin, a pivot pin removably supported in said notches and retained therein by abutment of the ends of the pin against the case, a blade mounted on the pivot pin and a slot 5 through the top of the case for reception of the blade.

JOSEPH W SWENSON. 

